The Wilmingtonian., 1887-02-12
A Demand for Pure Water.

A Demand for Pure Water.
The Jessup & Moore versus Ford q Ryan
case now pending in the Chancellor's court
involves questions of the utmost Importance
to the citizens of Wilmington. The former
company seeks to stay the latter by legal
process from poisoning the waters of Silver
brook stream. This is the plain story Of the
case. So far Jessup 6 Moore have succeed
ed in placing an injunction on Ford & Ryan
restraining them from polluting the stream
referred to. The citizeus perhaps may not
criticize such action of Messs Jessups g.
Meore, in fact, are probably glad to see any
such movement instituted, from whatever
direction it may come, pointing towards an
inhibition upon any parties for detiling any
Of the waters In the vicinsge of the city. The
people OF Wilmington have long looked
towards the city authorities apd not alone
to them but TO the State autb5Tities and also
to the Legislature Itself for some movement
| In the direction of aid and protection from
this dsgraceful and high handed action on
the part of certain rich, powerful and ibflu-
ential manufacturing concerns in this neigh
borhood who without particle Of consider
alton for the peoples rights, for the .ndiot-
ment in the law courts to which they lay
themselves open to, had the citizens Of Will
| mington public officers Of such independ-
encs and recognition of the demands of
sworn duty which is expected Of them while
they are incumbsnts Of the offices conferred
| upon them by the people, had these infuen-
tial films referred to anything but the most
signal and supreme Indifference to all JUS
tice and did not their immemorlal practice
and custom in those Illegal practices only
indicate thsirassurance Of bsirs fully sll eld-
ed, we should never behold such a spectacle
rs the case now psnding in the Calnc ,lor's
court aud Messrs Ford & Ryan held under
bail. 1t is indeed as laughsble aud oon.emp-
tible iravesty Of equable justice as any
RECORDS In any Stats can show. IL is an In
stance Of the pot calling the kettle back
only that the pot is the BLACKLIST PM that
ever the honlely Old ads3e ,uld seck to cite
as an illustra ion. Tho Jessnps & Moore
Pulp Factory is injured by Mess.s Fond &
Ryan passing their factory refuse into Silver
brook stream. The pulp factory is below
the morocco factory and therefore cxper-
ences the disadvantage OF the polluted wa
ters-pol.uted by Messrs Fo.d Il Ryan's
factory works. The pulp factory owners as
sert that they are necessitatsd to use the
water polluted by Messrs Ford & Ryan and
in order to use it for manufacturing pur-
posss. are put TO excessive ext Hse in clari-
flying 1T.
But now comes the point 10 which the
citizens of Wilmington are most particularly
interested This very same firm Messrs Jes
sup & Moore are the proprietors of fac.
tory, the well known Jessup& Moore paper
factory situate upon the Brandywine from
which Wilmington obtains It's drinking wat
sr supply. The factory has for years per-
petuated the great outrage upon the citizent
Of Wilmington of poisoning the Braudywins
Creek by allowing its refuse to either flow,
l -ns.oI.ta drain on nva,Anw into lha rive
above the locality on that river from whenc'
the drinking water supply is gained. Dali,
the poisonous refuse fows into the Brandy
y vine Tuis may be seen and proved to thos
who wish to acquant themselves upon tn
= question. Above the farthest upstream
: dam, ut that point on the Brandywine wher
the water supply is gained, below the rail
IL way bridge, and upon the north side of th
e. river the Investigator need only follow th
duct or drain built by the paper mill owner
~ and examine its debouching mouth @
mouths. 1t will thea be seen especially o
y such occasions when the Brandyw'u ne is 3
'e such height as will allow OF fair ocula
X demonstration, which added TO the othe
co helpful factor in the desired investigation
~ when the flow from one Of the ducts referre
- is composed of distinctively colored fluid,
40 NAV be distinctly noted, as the writer saw
~ last summer, mixing with the water abO,
'e tba dam referred to and spreading its poi
'e onous discoloration fer 30 or 80 feet, I
least, in radius from the mouth of the duct {
VI channel, which is covered stone-hnl
sewer into the Brandy wine stream lreyiot
. to the water falling over the dam. 1t shoul
be remem bered there are or we're last sun
's mer two outlets of discoored water, OF
~ that ompties into the North race, teu feet {
no more from the location Of the mouth OF Il
% other saver. 1t is true that the duct I
=" sewer that pours into the Nsrth race Ia Il
" more voluminous stream, but neverthele
80 the smaller sewer has been seen emptyir
no itself Of intensely discolored fluid at the ra
"s OF not less than a gallon in i've seconds in
n' the water from whence the city's drinkii
supply is directly gained and not two hu
'no dred feet from the siuce gate at the head
the South race which is the water supp
g course itself
on Now if this be the case where in the mai